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Parallels Access Is the Ultimate App for iPad Power Users

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Parallels Access Review

The Mac and PC Come to the iPad

Parallels Access lets you run any app from your Mac or Windows PC on your iPad. More than just a window back to your computer, it integrates native iPad functions like copy-and-paste. It's pricey, though: It costs $79.99 per machine.

Mac Launcher

The Mac launcher shows whatever apps you want. You can add from your Mac's Applications folder and delete using normal iPad press-and-hold.

App Switching

Here's the Mac launcher with the app switcher along the bottom. You can even see individual windows from an app, like with Microsoft Word here.

Native iPad Copy-and-Paste

Parallels Access makes use of native iPad copy-and-paste for apps you run through it.

Chrome in Parallels

Here's the Mac version of Chrome running on an iPad through Parallels Access.

Customizing the Launcher

You can customize the launcher with any app from your Mac

Windows Launcher

The Windows launcher works the same, although the old Windows logo appears in the background.

App Switcher

Here's what the app switcher looks like for the Windows experience.

Word on iPad

One of the most powerful things Parallels Access lets you do is run Microsoft Office almost as if they were native apps.

Photoshop Glitch

While trying to use Photoshop on iPad, it would occasionally not show the images, even though the drop-down menus still worked.

Precision Tools

If you press and hold on a tool, you can zero in on selecting a precise location, which uses the native iPad magnifying glass.

The iPad is the most popular tablet in the world by far, but it still can't do everything a PC or Mac can. There are countless apps that only work on "proper" computers — from the full version of Microsoft Office to Final Cut Pro. Is there a way to bring those apps to the iPad without compromising the experience too much?

With today's launch of Parallels Access, the answer is most definitely yes. The iPad app lets you run apps from your PC or Mac almost as if they were native to the iPad. There may be no iPad version of Word, for example, but with Parallels' app, you can run it off your computer and "stream" it to the tablet.

Parallels has a lot of experience with that kind of virtualization software — the company's desktop app lets users run PC apps on Macs. Parallels took a previous stab at the iPad with Parallels Mobile in 2011. Although the app garnered generally positive reviews, it was discontinued a few weeks ago to make way for the new app.

Parallels Access takes the virtual-computer experience to the next level. The new app goes beyond simply providing a window back to the other machine, taking into account things like screen resolution (the apps are resized for the iPad's aspect ratio) and user experience (PC and Mac apps can use iPad copy-and-paste). Parallels calls the iPad-tailoring "applification."

All this power and convenience comes with a cost, however. Although the app is technically free, you'll need to subscribe to the service for the hefty price of $79.99 a year per machine. There are trial periods, of course, but it's a tall order for appcess … er, access to apps you already have, many of which probably have iPad versions.

So is it worth it? Parallels gave me a sneak peek at the new app to find out.

Doorway to Your Mac

Setting up Parallels Access is an involved process. You not only need to download the app and register an account, but you also have to download and install the agent for the Mac or PC you want to access. The Mac version has a 14-day trial, versus 90 days on Windows — presumably because the Windows version is labeled "beta."

When you first install the app on your machine, Parallels will ask if you want to set the computer to never go to sleep. If it ever does, it'll fall off the grid, and the app won't be able to access it. Of course, it's a given that the machine must be connected to a Wi-Fi network. But it can be any Wi-Fi network, meaning it can be anywhere in the world and you can access it via the app.

Once you're done all the installations and setup, actually using the app is a breeze. Fire it up, and you'll see all the computers you've set up to work with Parallels. Tap one, and you're immediately taken to an app launcher, more or less modeled after Apple's Launchpad. If it's a Windows machine, you'll see the old Windows logo blurred behind the icons; on Mac, it's the galaxy image that's the default desktop background.

The app is intuitive to the extreme. Once you've launched one of your computer's apps, you can always return to the launcher via a small nav menu on the bottom right. You can also cycle through active apps without closing the current one, and even choose specific windows. Settings are just a tap away.

You can tell Parallels Access was designed with Microsoft Office in mind. The app works gloriously with Word and Excel, with copy-and-paste functionality that seems native to the iPad. Even the magnifying glass works as expected.

Most other apps work fine — my IM client (Adium), Safari and Chrome browsers and TweetDeck all performed great on the iPad, with minimal issues translating clicks to touch. Photoshop Elements, however didn't work as well. Although I could see the row of drop-down menus, photos themselves sometimes weren't visible, replaced with a generic "Parallels" label.

Fogged-Up Windows

While Parallels Access was virtually hitch-free on the Mac, the Windows experience is more glitchy — you can see why it carries the "beta" label. Although most apps from my Surface Pro would run, usability was more of a challenge. Even simple things like scrolling were problematic; when scrolling horizontally, I needed to put my finger in the top third of the screen, for example.

Copy and paste was also challenged. After launching the Windows 8 Mail app on my iPad, I tried to copy part of an email. However, even though the native iPad magnifying glass appeared, once I selected something there was no way to alter the selection, leaving me able to copy only a single word.

Drawing programs were completely out of luck. I tried FreshPaint, Paint and Autodesk Sketchbook, and none of them would translate my finger swipes into markings. Clearly, the PC experience needs polish.

Generally, though, I could launch and use any Windows app (7 or 8) as if it were made for the iPad. I've always found the CNN app for iPad to be lacking, but with Parallels the great horizontal-scrolling Windows 8 version was just a few taps away.

Compromises and Strength

Parallels Access is well thought-out, but it isn't magic. With every app, you'll notice a slight but perceptible reduction in responsiveness compared to the native app experience. The onscreen keyboard doesn't always appear when it should either (although it's easy enough to call up).

Also, if your machine is typically hooked up to a second screen, you may notice some flakiness with screen resolution after you disconnect. For the workstation my MacBook Pro is usually hooked up to, I needed to pull out and reattach the monitor cord to reset everything.

That's on top of the previously stated issues with Windows and not being able to use sleep mode on your computer. Are all these compromises enough to justify getting Parallels Access?

A thousand times yes. When you look at the big picture of what Parallels Access does, it doesn't just run your computer's apps on the iPad — it lets you run them wherever you are. For when you need to see that PowerPoint deck from two years ago that's on your home machine, or the situations when you could use an iPad browser that runs Adobe Flash, or the time you really, really don't want to get out of bed and go downstairs to perform a simple revision to a Word doc, this app opens up all those doors and more.

If those things never happen to you, then you can skip Parallels' new app and its eyebrow-raising subscriber fee. But for those whose eyes brighten a little bit at the prospect of turning an iPad into a full-fledged computer, even for a little while, Parallels Access is must-get. After all, there's nothing that power users like better than more power.

The Lowdown

The Good

Run Mac and Windows apps on iPad.

Native iPad copy-and-paste makes experience feel natural.

Incredibly intuitive.

The Bad

Pricey: $79.99 a year per machine.

Windows version needs polish.

Experience not a fluid as native iPad apps.

Bottom Line: Although it's pricey and imperfect, Parallels Access is a godsend for iPad power users who want access to their computer's apps from anywhere.

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